The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing system, and a providing medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing system, and a providing medium, which are adapted to attach various virtual information to real world environments or situations (such as a position and an object), and to present those various attached information.
Recently, systems and interfaces called Augmented Reality (abbreviated as AR hereinafter) have been proposed. xe2x80x9cAugmented Realityxe2x80x9d is a generic term for systems and interfaces based on the concept of providing information, which corresponds to situations in the real world such as a position and an object, to users and offering a more comfortable interface for the real world to the users.
FIG. 30 shows the concept of AR. As shown in FIG. 30, a user terminal, e.g., a computer that the user can wear on himself or herself (referred to as a wearable computer 122 hereinafter), is always held in an ON-state to observe real world environments 121 and to present appropriate information to the user as required.
A sensor 123 includes, e.g., an IR (infrared) sensor, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) video camera and a microphone to take in information (position information, ID information, voice information, etc.) of the real world environments 121. The information taken in by the sensor 123 is supplied to a server 125 via a network. The server 125 reads data, which corresponds to the supplied information of the real world, from an internal database 125a in which data corresponding to the information of the real world is stored beforehand, and renders the read data to be displayed on an HUD (Head Up Display) 124 via a network. With such a system, the user can acquire the data corresponding to the situations in the real world environments 121.
One example of such an AR system is reported by Steven Feiner, Blair MacIntyre, and Doree Seligmann, xe2x80x9cKnowledge-based augmented reality,xe2x80x9d Communication of the ACM, Vol. 36, No. 7, pp. 52-62, August 1993. This AR system is a maintenance system for a laser beam printer. Assist information produced based on position information, which is obtained by a ultrasonic sensor, is indicated on a transmission type wearable display mounted on the user""s head.
Apart from the above-described AR system, there are known systems allowing users to exchange various information about things in the real world or various information in the virtual world via a network or the like. For example, information exchange service systems called an on-line bulletin board system (BBS) and chat over the Internet have been already utilized. With one of personal computer (PC) communication services, a bulletin board (forum) or the like subdivided depending upon favorable items of users is provided so that the users can exchange information via the bulletin board. This form of service often plays a predominant role in the user community. The BBS is usually utilized in such a manner that the user retrieves an interesting bulletin board through a search service based on the name of the bulletin board, etc., and then browses information written on the retrieved bulletin board or writes new information on it.
However, the conventional AR system described above is problematic in that the assist information displayed on the HUD or the like is limited to the information previously registered in a database stored in a computer, and such information (annotation) as popping into the user""s head during maintenance work cannot be newly added to the database. Specifically, the above-described AR system is only able to read information corresponding to situations in the real world from among the information previously stored in the database, and to present the read information to users. In other words, the conventional AR system has been merely a context-aware browser.
When users receive the information exchange services such as the BBS and chat over the Internet or PC communication, the users face such a problem that they have to retrieve, e.g., interesting bulletin boards through a search service based on the name of each bulletin board, etc. However, a large number of bulletin boards, etc. exist on the Internet, and it is not always easy to quickly find out a desired one of those bulletin boards, etc. on which desired information is written.
In view of the state of art set forth above, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing system, and a providing medium, with which information (such as image information, text information and voice information) corresponding to situations (such as a position and an object) in the real world can be presented to users, while users can attach, to situations in the real world, information corresponding to the situations in the real world, and with which users can quickly and easily find out desired information.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing apparatus for communicating with another information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes a specific information input unit for taking in specific information to specify situations in the real world; an attached information input unit for taking in attached information to be attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information that is taken in by the specific information input unit; a transmitting unit for transmitting the attached information and the specific information; a receiving unit for receiving the attached information transmitted from the another information processing apparatus corresponding to the transmitted specific information; and a presenting unit for presenting, as information related to the specified situations in the real world, the attached information having been received.
Also, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing method implemented in an information processing apparatus for communicating with another information processing apparatus, wherein the method includes a specific information input step of taking in specific information to specify situations in the real world; an attached information taking-in step of taking in attached information to be attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information; a transmitting step of transmitting the attached information and the specific information; a receiving step of receiving the attached information transmitted from the another information processing apparatus corresponding to the specific information transmitted in the transmitting step; and a presenting step of presenting, as information related to the specified situations in the real world, the attached information having been received.
Further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing apparatus for communicating with another information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving specific information to specify situations in the real world and attached information attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information, the specific information and the attached information being both transmitted from the another information processing apparatus; a storage unit for storing the received specific information and attached information; a reading unit for reading the attached information corresponding to the specific information from the storage unit; and a transmitting unit for transmitting the attached information having been read.
Still further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing method implemented in an information processing apparatus for communicating with another information processing apparatus, wherein the method includes a receiving step of receiving specific information to specify situations in the real world and attached information attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information, the specific information and the attached information being both transmitted from the another information processing apparatus; a storing step of storing the received specific information and attached information; a reading step of reading the attached information corresponding to the specific information stored in the storing step; and a transmitting step of transmitting the attached information having been read.
Still further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing system including at least a first information processing apparatus including a specific information taking-in unit for input specific information to specify situations in the real world, an attached information input unit for taking in attached information to be attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information, a transmitting unit for transmitting the attached information and the specific information, a receiving unit for receiving the attached information transmitted from a second information processing apparatus corresponding to the transmitted specific information, and a presenting unit for presenting, as information related to the specified situations in the real world, the attached information having been received; and a second information processing apparatus including a receiving unit for receiving the specific information and the attached information both transmitted from the first information processing apparatus, a storage unit for storing the received specific information and attached information, a reading unit for reading the attached information corresponding to the specific information from the storage unit, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the attached information read by the reading unit; the first information processing apparatus and the second information processing apparatus being connected via a network.
Still further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by a providing medium for providing a computer-readable program to execute a processes including the steps of a specific information input step of taking in specific information to specify situations in the real world; an attached information input step of taking in attached information to be attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information; a transmitting step of transmitting the attached information and the specific information; a receiving step of receiving the attached information transmitted from the another information processing apparatus corresponding to the transmitted specific information; and a presenting step of presenting, as information related to the specified situations in the real world, the attached information having been received.
Still further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by a providing medium for providing a computer-readable program to execute a process including the steps of a receiving step of receiving specific information to specify situations in the real world and attached information attached to the situations in the real world specified by the specific information, the specific information and the attached information being both transmitted from the another information processing apparatus; a storing step of storing the received specific information and attached information; a reading step of reading the attached information corresponding to the specific information stored in the storing step; and a transmitting step of transmitting the attached information having been read.
In the present invention, the specific information includes at least one of image information of the real world, position information of the real world, and object information of the real world. Also, the situation in the real world is an object in the real world, the specific information is an ID attached to the object in the real world, and the attached information transmitted from the transmitting unit is information that is related to the object in the real world and can be browsed and exchanged. Further, the situation in the real world is a position in the real world, the specific information is position information of the real world, and the attached information transmitted from the transmitting unit is information that is related to the position in the real world and can be browsed and exchanged.